Story

Decades ago back in her home country Austria, Birgit envisioned a Zen retreat on an idyllic tropical island. A simple, healthy and energizing place where people could retreat from their stressful jobs, replace their daily habits and gadgets with yoga, meditation and other healing practises, and rediscover their power and happiness.

Some years later, Birgit visited Bali for a short holiday, met her future husband Made, became pregnant …. and never left. Later, a stroll in Made’s home turf called her to this most beautiful, powerful strip of land on a hill fronting a black-sand beach. Love struck again, the pair purchased the land and – on the return of her vision two years on (still many years before the yoga and eco hype hit the island and the world) ¬– realised that this was the perfect place to realise her dream.

Following a few more years of research into eco systems, sustainable building and permaculture workshop, Birgit – “an architect but a hippy at heart “ – completed the master design. Building started in 2012, with the help of some trusting investors, and Balila Beach Resort finally welcomed its first guests in 2016.